episode_0155

Before starting the battle, a probing attack to gauge each other’s strength.

The ones suitable for that are indeed the black mages.

Because black mages, who use countless monsters, are the ones most suitable for a war of attrition.

Monsters starting to pour in en masse.

However, the floor level was not that high.

Those guys we were sick of seeing in the 6th floor volcanic zone.

However, if their number comes in greater than what would happen in a mass outbreak.

There would be no human who wouldn’t be overwhelmed by that.

Even Lord Kaiser, who must have experienced all sorts of things, couldn’t help but flinch a little.

“…Is this the strength of the 15th Corps Commander?”

Just as Noah’s muttering voice was fading into the wind.

The ethereal wolves that had been running ahead begin to pour towards us.

Along with the barricades laid out in advance, everyone in the Knights prepares for battle.

The Knights of the 8th floor are not all swordsmen.

There were also mages and archers among them.

They fight with the traditional and most effective tactic where swordsmen block the front and support fire comes from behind.

I just need to provide help.

[Defense] [Heavenly Aria] [Holy Circlet] [Baptism] + [Angel’s Descent]

Unfortunately, I couldn’t use other cards because the energy card wasn’t drawn.

But this card alone should be enough to help.

Immediately, one card in my hand melts into the world.

[Angel’s Descent (5)] – Summons an angel for 3 turns to continuously heal allies in the surrounding area.

Immediately, a powerful beam of light shot out from my body, began to shimmer in the sky, and soon started to take shape.

The giant angel in a human-like form with wings, whose face wasn’t visible, began to bestow blessings upon the land, and a faint light began to rise from the ground where we were.

“……”

Lord Kaiser’s eyes looking at me are very intense.

Certainly, seeing this, one couldn’t call me an ordinary mage.

[Angel’s Descent], instead of its powerful effect, has the appearance of Arielism’s divine magic that is too undeniable, and likely unusable by anyone but a considerably high-ranking official.

I had always been reluctant to use it, but.

That’s not important now.

The power exactly needed by the Knights, who are now fully equipped, is only the power of a priest.

If I can support them with that, their fighting power will increase several times over.

Although Noah is in a difficult position to reveal that he is an apostle of the evil god, but.

As for me, well, those who know already know.

‘Thinking about the aftermath later, let’s pour in all our power.’

[Angel’s Descent], enhanced by [Cat’s Paw], continuously heals minor injuries with steady dot healing, increasing the sustainability of the frontliners.

While Kailak next to me shoots arrows, our party’s frontliners are not advancing but guarding around me.

Because interfering among the Knights who are already coordinated is itself a way to lower fighting power.

Led by Lord Kaiser, who is clad in crimson aura and slicing through all monsters at the very front, the knights, including Karin, are defeating all incoming monsters.

But still. The number is too large.

Even if the front and flanks aren’t breached, the hordes of more monsters are still heading towards the back.

“…It seems we need to step up on this side.”

The party members, who had only been watching for a while, quickly move towards the back.

Unfortunately, obstacles like barricades were only in the front, so they had to face them completely bare-handed, but.

On this side, thanks to the relatively somewhat ‘good’ black mages, we’ve fought 6th floor monsters enough to analyze them one by one.

Furthermore, even without me stepping up, with the survivor using the intangible sword joining, they were defeating the monsters relatively stably.

Thus, all fronts were stabilized.

Flashy area-of-effect skills occasionally illuminate the blue desert, and the movements of the approaching monsters froze.

I use supportive magic in between, casting shields and blessings to assist everyone.

Originally, the injured should step aside for a moment and use potions.

Such a war of attrition by the black mages, accumulating damage little by little, no longer holds.

‘Fatigue’ might be a factor. But basically, knights and explorers are superhumans who can fight for about a full day.

They are likely to judge that a war of attrition using trash mobs is now meaningless to them, as they are somewhat pressed for time.

And indeed, from that side’s formation, they summon something massive to change the solidified front.

“…Giant?”

The trash mobs all move aside, making a path, and 3 giants walk down that path.

“They’re not monsters found in the labyrinth. They must be the black mages’ unique monsters.”

Furthermore, that’s not the end.

Monsters of somewhat better quality appear next.

But.

“Even so, they are just monsters.”

As Lord Kaiser swung his sword imbued with aura, a giant sword strike flew out and cut down all the approaching elite monsters.

To become the Commander of the Knights in charge of the 8th floor, one must surely be this strong. Skills so overwhelming as to make one think so.

It was comparable even when compared to the veteran knight from the 7th floor.

But still, the black mages continue to summon more monsters.

“They must know that such a war of attrition will be meaningless. Why…?”

While questions were piling up on this side, a knight with [Clairvoyance] suddenly shouted.

“The rest of the group, excluding the black mages, are withdrawing!!!”

“……What?”

Whether the plan was changed, or if this was the intention from the start.

Various hypotheses quickly come to mind.

Was it their intention from the beginning to tie our feet using the black mages’ monster summoning?

Was time not on our side?

Or did the situation change in the middle?

However, there was no way to resolve this question.

Other than hearing it directly.

But even so, reaching the black mages by breaking through these many monsters is nonsensical from the start.

Because this battlefield is only possible due to the presence of 3 knights who perform the work of a hundred men each.

Therefore, we merely silently defend against the pouring monsters.

Even though all sorts of anxiety and questions swirled throughout my body, I could do nothing but fend off the waves of monsters before me.

Time gradually flowed, and as midnight was almost upon us.

We were able to eliminate even the last remaining monster.

But nothing remained.

The enemies all fled.

Since the monsters summoned by the black mage drop nothing.

It felt like a complete waste of effort, having done something useless.

It’s not for nothing that black mages are cursed by everyone.

After the battle ended, the Knights began light maintenance.

Clearing away the completely broken barricades, and retrieving the intact ones.

They also have a light meal, tearing open hardtack and jerky.

But that is merely the work of the rank and file.

The leadership figures of the Knights, such as Lord Kaiser, seem to have complex thoughts right now, all with deep frowns, continuing a long meeting.

“…What on earth happened? Where are they?”

“Well…”

The knight using [Clairvoyance] is looking around, but it seems they cannot find them.

A method characteristic of black mages, tearing space within the labyrinth to escape.

Noah muttered as if he had a guess.

“They probably disappeared using the black mages’ ‘passage’.”

“Like when you first met me on the 4th floor?”

“…Yeah.”

“Then can you find them?”

“Right. But I don’t recommend it. That place is the black mages’ passage. If I, who have already betrayed them, go in, I’ll be captured in an instant, won’t I?”

“But compared to that time, after the Incident in District 11, wouldn’t the black mages have become less pressed since many died?”

As if it was a completely unexpected idea, Noah glanced at me, and then said with a smile.

“…I’ll have to take a look sometime later.”

While various idle talks were being exchanged.

The knight members who had left to relay the news to the outside also returned.

Naturally, relaying the internal news became our responsibility.

Time flowed, and before long, midnight was upon us.

Before the eyes of the Knights, including Lord Kaiser, we waited only for the portal to open.

“Please, relay the news to the outside.”

“Make sure to relay it to the Guild Master!!”

While listening to various stories from the Knight Commander, we were waiting for the portal to open, but.

[00:00]

Even though the time had come, the portal did not open.

“……?”

“Why isn’t the portal opening?”

“What about other places?”

Since it was a desert anyway, and the surroundings were wide open. There was no reason for the portal not to be seen.

The time the portal leading outside is maintained is about 3 minutes.

We quickly searched the surroundings thoroughly, but.

The portal leading outside was not visible at all.

There was usually only one reason for such a case to occur.

The single case that occurred on the 2nd and 5th floors.

That possibility came out of Grace’s mouth.

“Could it be… that the 8th floor’s boss monster has awakened?”

At that guess, the survivor shook his head.

“That cannot be!!!”

As someone who was in a large clan, does he also have information about the 8th floor field boss?

The Knights also seemed to have no information about the field boss, and immediately approached the survivor.

“…Originally, it’s one of the clan’s secrets that shouldn’t be revealed. But given the situation, I trust you will understand.”

He immediately uses the intangible sword to draw a picture on the blue desert.

Something in a human form.

However, to call it human, everything was round and smooth, with no eyes, only a mouth.

“You all know that the mimic is the monster that represents the 8th floor. The 8th floor, where environmental changes called ‘Transformation Period’ are the focus. If so, I think it will be possible to predict what the 8th floor’s boss monster is.”

At those words, Jack, who was next to him, nodded as if he understood something, and said.

“[Doppelganger]”

At that name, everyone nodded as if they agreed.

However, as Lord Kaiser asked back, as if to confirm something.

“Isn’t a doppelganger a monster that appears in ghost stories for children?”

“That is correct.”

“That it exists in reality…”

“Ghost stories exist because it existed in reality.”

Anyway.

The survivor continues explaining.

“As you know, mimics can imitate anything. But they cannot imitate its essence. Even if they imitate a human, they cannot speak human language and are soon exposed.”

That’s right. Even though the mimics summoned by the black mages on the 7th floor took the form of corpses. That only worked because they took the form of corpses.

If they had been in human form, they would have been exposed quickly.

“As for [Doppelganger], I don’t know the details myself. But from what I’ve heard, it can imitate even the ‘essence’ of the target it imitates.”

“Then there seems to be something most important. What is the range that the fellow can imitate?”

“…Everything that was on the 8th floor when it was summoned.”

If so, not only the 7th Sin werewolf, but the Cardinal could also become two people.

A situation where the enemy’s core fighting power could literally double.

While everyone was unable to open their mouths further at the shocking news.

Lord Kaiser continues to ask questions.

“But putting that aside, tell me why it’s nonsensical. Is the summoning very difficult?”

“…Yes. To begin with, only the fact that it exists is known, but the summoning method has been lost for a long time. Just like with the Leviathan on the 5th floor.”

“But even then, a black mage and an apostate summoned it. If so, it would be best to assume that the doppelganger has already been summoned now. First…”

Just as Lord Kaiser quickly summarized the situation and was about to begin explaining what to do next.

Suddenly, a powerful sword strike shot out from far away and cut through the air.

A sword strike imbued with crimson aura.

Whose it was, we knew immediately.

“…Karin. You must gather all the explorers on the 8th floor using Shiarti’s Clairvoyance and fight together. I entrust this entirely to you.”

“Yes!!”

“And Jake. You follow me. Because even if it’s a doppelganger, the probability of it being stronger than the original is high.”

Along with those words, Lord Kaiser slowly walked towards the direction from which the sword strike flew.

The second knight, Jake, following behind him.

The two people drew their swords simultaneously, and aura was instantly imbued into their swords.

Holding the sword imbued with crimson aura, Lord Kaiser looks at someone approaching us from atop that sand dune.

Their identity was another Lord Kaiser.

More precisely, an existence presumed to be the field boss, a doppelganger, was walking towards this place.